Candle-holder



(No Model.) L

A. MESSMER.

CANDLE HOLDER No. 447,339. Patented Mar. 3, 1891,

FIG 5 Inventor. (/tfikr/ Qatar/wan.

UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW MESSMER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CANDLE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 447,339, dated March 3, 1891. I Application filed August 13,1890. Serial No .361,864=- (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW MESSMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Candle-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to those candle-holders which are provided with two distinct sets of spring-fingers of unequal lengths; and my improvement consists in making these various fingers of a single piece of metal and attaching them to a crown by means of a cap and a nipple, the latter being upset against said cap, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 shows a candle inserted within one form of my holder and the latter mounted upon a pole or staff. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation'of said holder. Fig. 3 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 4 is a plan of the holder, the upper portion of the spring-fingers being broken off.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the three principal mem:

bers of a more complex form of the holder.

A represents the metallic crown of the holder, which may be arranged in any manner for ready application either to a-candlestick or staff or other convenient support; but usually said crown has a threaded bore B, (seen in Fig. 3,) which enables its convenient coupling to any device. The exact shape of this crown is immaterial, although it is preferred to make it with a circular top to facilitate the proper arrangement of the springfingers, of which fingers two sets are employedto wit, 0 C and D D, the fingers O 0 being relatively longer than the fingers D D. Furthermore, the fingers C C are diametrically opposite each other, and the fingers D D are also diametrically opposite each other and at right angles to said fingers CO, as more clearly seen in Fig. 4. These four fingers first bow away from the crown and are then bent in at top, thereby causing their free ends to constantly press toward the center of said crown, so as to be certain of grasp ing any ordinary sized candle.

To insert a candle Within this holder it is unnecessary to perform any special manipuest fingers.

lations, the candle being simply grasped and pushed down between the longest fingers O 0. These fingers separate a slight distance and then steady the candle on two opposite sides, and as it is forced farther down the candle then comes in contact with the shorter fingers D D. These fingers also separate a slight distance and then steady the candle on two opposite sides, thus making four guides for it, and by the time the candle comes in contact 'with the upper end of the crown said candle is erect. It will thus be seen that the candle is self-centered within the holder, and requires no more manipulation than is necessary to insert its lower end between the long- It is also apparent that this holder will grasp candles of different diameters, on account of the yielding nature of the fingers.

In Fig. 1 the holder is seen applied to a staff or pole E, and the dotted lines 6 in said illustration indicate a transparency that may be attached to said staff, thereby adapting the 7 5 invention to processional purposes.

In order to facilitate the manufacture of the holder and to effect the proper arrangement of the Various fingers, I prefer to provide the crown with an upturned annular 8o flange F and a short central tube or nipple Gr, said flange being notched at H to admit the various fingers, which latter radiate from a common ring I, whose opening J is of such a diameter as to fit snugly around said nipple.

K is a cap-plate, having a countersunk opening L, that also fits around said nipple, as seen in Fig. 3. we In constructing this form of holder the ring I is first applied so as to cause its open- 0 ing J to fit around the nipple G and to seat the fingers O O D D withinv the proper notches H of flange F, after which act the cap-plate K is applied. The opening L of this plate is fitted around said nipple, while the plate itself fits snugly within the annular flange F. The upper end of the nipple is then upset or headed over the cap, as seen at g in Figs. 3 and 4, thereby uniting all the parts securely together and insuring the-correct IOC location of the various fingers. Finally, the ring I (seen in Fig. 5) has three long fingers O O O and three short fingers D D D", thereby indicating that the exact number of fingers is immaterial, although the holder Wh0S6 opening L fits around said nipple and should have at least four of them to produce is secured thereto by upsetting the latter at the desired result. 9, as herein described.

I claim as my invention- Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature in 5 The combination, in a candle-holder, of the presence of two Witnesses.

crown A, having a nipple G and notched an- ANDRE, MESSMER nular flange F, the ring I, having an opening J, that fits around said nipple, and a series of \Vitnesses:

long fingers C C and short fingers D D seated JAMES H. LAYMAN, IO within the notches H and an annular cap K, SAMUEL M. QUINN. 

